Valkyrie Skies
by Emerald Stag
Summary: DROPPED AU. The loss of his mentor sent Dick Grayson running away from his calling. Now one year later, he's faced with reality and tries to make his way in a changed world.


Author's Note: This is ongoing until I run out of ideas for it, which shouldn't be for awhile. Most of everything up to Infinite Crisis is followed; everything since only bits have been kept with some things going pretty AU. The uncut version of this chapter can be found on ficward.

**Chapter One - Lineage Part I: Wayward Son**

_-- Dalton Tower, Metropolis:_

It was a dawn of a new day in Metropolis, the rising sun shined down on the big city as its citizens began their treks to work. The early morning sunlight poured through the open bedroom windows on the top floor commercial building. Located in the borough of New Troy right in the heart of downtown Metropolis, the Dalton Building was as inconspicuous as the next, which made it the perfect location to hide a Headquarters. Unbeknownst to the bankers below, the top levels belonged to Oracle, a name that held meaning in only one world – the world of super-heroes.

Oracle, also known as Barbara Gordon, was not only the heroes' go-to source for information but she also led a mostly female organization known as the Birds of Prey. Trusted members knew not only the Headquarters location but Oracle's alias as well, since Dalton Tower was her home as well.

The scene this morning in her bedroom was not that unusual for a weekday. With the curtains pulled away from the windows, the warm rays of sunlight freely shined down on the lone body sleeping on the bed. The body belonged to Richard 'Dick' Grayson, Barbara's fiancé, who has been staying with her for the past year.

Dick was slowly waking due to the insistent sunlight, and groggily reached out for Barbara – only to grasp her discarded pillow. Letting out a small groan, Dick hugged her pillow and breathed in the faint traces of her scent. He wasn't surprised to find her out of bed already; she was always an early bird when it came down to work needing to get done. Monday's were always the toughest mornings for Dick; the weekend always came to an end far quicker than needed. He'd rather stay in bed all morning, but the mere fact that Barbara had compromised and given the weekends 'sleep-in status' was a major win in his eyes. She was just as stubborn as him most of the time and that was one of the reasons he loved her.

Unable to resist any longer, Dick rolled away from the sunlight to the other side of the bed and glanced at the clock sitting on the bedside table. 7:00 AM. The lack of noise emanating from the kitchen area and the empty bed this early in the day just confirmed what he suspected, Oracle was on the clock. Letting out a sigh, Dick ran his hand along Barbara's support rings that were attached to the wall above the headboard and jumped out of bed.

Walking to the open space in the room, Dick began to run through a series of gymnastic stretches to loosen up his muscles. The callisthenic exercises always gave Dick an escape; a way to achieve peace of mind while retaining his body's fitness. On his final set, Dick's concentration was broken by a sharp whistle causing him to stop and turn towards his audience.

"Nice butt," commented the Huntress from her perch on the windowsill. Also known as Helena Bertinelli, Huntress was Oracle's lead field agent on the Birds of Prey. Her outfit displayed the usual scuffs and bloodstains that came with a long night of crime fighting but her posture and attitude gave off sexual vibes that most can't resist. Smirking, she met his gaze for a moment before drifting downwards to the parts of his body she found much more interesting.

Despite his lack of clothing, Dick gave Huntress a warm smile while stepping back towards the bed and the protection of its sheets. "Morning, Helena. You do know there's an actual entrance to this place right? Even one for Capes."

Huntress returned the smile as she deftly jumped into the bedroom, throwing a pair of shorts that were hanging off a lamp at Dick's head as she made her way through the room. "But I enjoy the view here all too much to give it up, Dick."

Dick snatched the garment before it hit his head and was quick to put it on. "Same time next week then?" he asked to her back.

The Huntress's boots clicked against the hardwood floor as she headed out the bedroom door. "You can bet on it, Acrobat," she answered without looking back at the half-naked Dick. "And don't keep us waiting on breakfast. You know how Barbara can get!"

With the walls having been reinforced with soundproofing materials, the Huntress was quickly out of hearing range which prevented Dick from continuing the banter any further. Grabbing an old t-shirt from the dresser, Dick put it on and made his way to the kitchen.

The first stop was at the cabinets above the coffee maker. Unless she was in bed, Barbara needed a cup of coffee in the morning to be the least bit cordial. On days like today where there was something important enough to make her forego the morning shot of caffeine, Barbara needed it even more than ever.

Dick opened the nearest can from the cabinet and poured the beans into the machine, turning it on to brew a fresh pot. Dick couldn't resist taking a sniff from the can before sealing the lid and placing it back in the cabinet.

The coffee beans were imported fresh from Columbia. Dinah Lance, the Black Canary, was once the lead field agent of the Birds of Prey and had discovered the coffee during a mission against some drug cartels and had brought some back for Barbara. As was typical Barbara, after tasting the coffee – and falling in love with the flavor – she did not want any other kind anymore and ended up arranging a monthly delivery schedule using some connections as Oracle.

With the familiarity gained from having called the top floor of Dalton Tower 'home for the last year, Dick gracefully darted about the kitchen, fixing up two bowls of shredded wheat cereal and plucking a few ripe fruits out of the fruit bowl. Placing everything onto a tray – including hot cups of coffee – Dick made his way down the hallway towards the area dedicated to Barbara's day job as Oracle.

Exiting the living area and stepping into the 'command center', Dick was welcomed by the view he expected. Barbara sat in front of her flat-panel monitors, typing away at the keyboard while she spoke through her headset. Helena was nowhere in sight and Dick presumed still washing away last night's grime from her body.

Placing the tray down on the part of the desk he'd secured as his own, Dick moved behind Barbara's chair, leaning over and quietly placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. Giving her shoulder a soft squeeze, Dick reached over and flipped on the room's speakers so that he could overhear what looked to be an interesting battle on the monitors.

The Justice League was currently battling against Medusa's daughter, Decay. They had tracked her down rampaging through the streets of Gateway City looking for Wonder Woman. Luckily there were not many casualties as Wondergirl contacted Oracle immediately after receiving a panicked phone call from her mother in Gateway. Wondergirl couldn't leave as she was in the middle of a mission with the Outsiders but Barbara was glad to help and sent the request to the Justice League.

Barbara was currently talking to her friend Black Canary – Chairwoman of the Justice League – over a private channel. "That's right; she rapidly ages a person through touch as well, so stay out of her arm reach, Dinah." Without shifting her gaze from the screen in front of her, Barbara snatched up the cup of coffee and inhaled the rich aroma before taking a sip.

Dinah's voice crackled over the speakers. **I think I can keep that in mind**

Barbara smiled, reaching out to pull Dick's head down for a chaste kiss. She could taste the grapes he had been eating on his lips. "Your opponent also has deadly breath, so be quick about it already and put her down before someone gets hurt."

**Who's in charge here? I feel like I'm back with the Birds again** laughed Dinah. **Flash! I think Decay is in the mood for a nice breeze**

The satellite imaging feed showed the deranged purple-toned villain getting surrounded by a red blur, causing the air around Decay to swirl around her at a rapid pace. Decay quickly found herself in the middle of a disorienting tornado, keeping her isolated from the heroes and preventing her deadly powers from harming them.

It was Black Lightning's turn as energy bolts blasted through the Flash's tornado, scoring direct hits on Decay and knocking the villain backwards out of the whirling winds and right into the path of Hawkgirl's mace. Seeing the impact, the Flash came to a halt and the swirling mass of air dissipated to reveal the fallen Decay.

Green Lantern was quick to use his ring to contain the unconscious villain in a bubble before flying over to join the rest of the heroes around Black Canary. The success of their mission brought a smile to the blonde's face, one that unknowingly matched the one Barbara had as she looked on.

Black Canary congratulated each of her teammates before turning her attention back to her friend. **Thanks again for the intel, Oracle**

Barbara unconsciously nodded while her fingers blazed through keystrokes updating the information from the mission in the windows popping up on her monitors. "Anytime, Dinah. You know that."

**Of course** agreed Dinah. **Can't let Wonder Boy there monopolize _all_ of your time!**

Unable to resist an opportunity to bait their friend, Dick leaned close to Barbara's mic. "Jealous, Canary?"

**Mmm, maybe just a little, Bird Boy!** answered back a smirking Dinah.**It's nice to hear you're still in a good mood. I guess that means I'll get even with you when I see you both on Sunday**

Barbara smiled, closing the connection to Dinah and switching the screens from the 'borrowed' satellite imaging feed to her default information scanning system, all the while completely missing the confused look on Dick's face.

Before Dick could question Barbara about Dinah's comment, Helena walked into the room. Recently removed from a refreshing hot shower – if her wet hair was and relaxed demeanor was any indication – she was changed out of her Huntress gear into a pair of tight jeans and a spaghetti-strapped tank top. "What did I miss?"

"The Justice League tracked down Medusa's daughter in Gateway City and took her down over the Mojave Desert before she wrecked any more havoc," replied Barbara, shifting her attention away from her monitors to the two people in the room. She swallowed another sip of coffee before reaching over for some fruit.

Dick beat Barbara's hands to the last grapes. He popped them into his mouth before turning to Helena. "How was your stakeout last night?"

"Waste of time," answered Helena bitterly. "The rumors of ships bringing imported containers of high grade hallucinogenic drugs to Port Adams in Gotham's East End were true, but the Scarecrow was a no-show."

Barbara nodded her head thoughtfully before grabbing her PDA off her desk to look up the very information she had based Huntress's stakeout on. "Who was on the receiving end then?"

Helena swallowed a few spoonfuls of cereal before answering. "Just a bunch of low level thugs and wannabe mobster types. I'm actually a little surprised that type of crowd was trying to bring in such big league tuff. Catwoman happened to be in the neighborhood and helped me take care of them fairly quickly. Holly says 'hi' by the way."

"How is she out there?" Dick wondered aloud. "She started prowling the rooftops after I left and I haven't really kept in touch with the Gotham Crew lately."

A mischievous smirk grew on Helena's lips. "Why not ask that dominatrix of yours sitting next to you?

"I never should have told you about that night," commented a blushing Barbara. Clearing her throat she moved to refocus the conversation. "Dick knows I'd rather he talk to Tim about Gotham topics and not use me or my system as a replacement."

Dick rolled his eyes before giving Helena the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. "Come on Helena, it's not like her moves are meant to be kept secret. I'm bound to find out eventually."

"She's not as rough around the edges as she used to be," admitted Helena, reclining in her chair and placing her bare feet on Dick's part of the desk. "I think she's been receiving training from at least Cassandra and possibly even Selina. Her body is moving with much more fluidity and purpose."

"That wouldn't be too surprising," added Barbara, the answers on her PDA not good enough to keep her from turning it off. "Enough time has passed that Selina would be looking to get back into shape and I would imagine that it offers the perfect opportunity to sharpen Holly's skills."

Helena nodded in agreement. "We'll know for sure on Sunday, when we all get together. Communication should have never gotten so strained between all of us –" Helena's speech trailed off at the growing surprise on Dick's face combined with the slight grimace from Barbara. "You haven't told ..."

Barbara shook her head. "Our invitation just arrived on Friday and I didn't want it to ruin the weekend."

"What's going on, Babs?" asked Dick worriedly. "What am I apparently the last to know about?"

Helena coughed uncomfortably and stood up. "I think that's my cue to leave." She headed towards the door, not without taking a moment to smack Dick's butt on her way out. "Thanks again for breakfast, Acrobat."

Dick ignored the stinging sensation from his butt and raised his eyebrow at Barbara. "Well?"

Refusing to waver under his penetrating gaze, Barbara's eidetic memory easily brought the information she needed for this conversation to the forefront of her thoughts. "Do you realize what time of the year it is, Dick?"

The holidays had just gone by a few weeks back, and winter was winding down which meant–

"It'll be a year since ... Bruce was killed."

"Exactly, and Tim and Selina decided to create an annual memorial event in Bruce's honor. It's a whole day event with a ceremony at Wayne Tower during the day where heroes will be around to meet and greet with the public, and then at night friends and family are to gather at Wayne Manor to share memories and recollect the good times."

Dick grew increasingly tense but Barbara continued on calmly. "I was going to tell you today. I just didn't expect it to be mentioned in conversation before we had a chance to speak on it. I know you avoided Bruce's funeral but I think this event is a great way to honor Bruce."

Dick was quiet for a few minutes, patiently thinking it through. Something he did a lot these days. "It's not that you're afraid I don't want to go. I take it you want Nightwing to make a return at the event?"

Barbara reached out and grasped Dick's larger hand with both of hers. "We all do, Dick. I'm not going to force you to do anything, but you are too good of a hero to stay on the sidelines. You can't avoid destiny forever. Bruce's legacy is something to be proud of and stand by, not something to run from."

"I thought we had moved past the 'you trying to push me away' phase," replied Dick, pulling away from Barbara's grasp to move towards the room's bay windows. "Haven't I made just as much of a difference – if not more – on this side of the fight as I did as a Cape? I know your tendencies so well and we're so in tune with each other that your work as 'Oracle' has been amazing this past year and you know it."

Barbara sighed and wheeled herself over to Dick's side, joining him in gazing out the window. The view overlooked Hobb's River, one of the water ways that separated New Troy from the other suburban boroughs of Metropolis. "Is that all you want to be in life, Dick? Half a man? Half of who you could be?"

Turning to Barbara, Dick couldn't remove his eyes from the loving gaze burning brightly behind her glasses. "Wasn't this last year good for us? Weren't you happy, Babs? I love it when you are. I'm content with being by your side, making work easier and letting us enjoy the luxuries that crime fighting doesn't have time for through the rest of our days."

Dick brought his hand to Barbara's cheek, pushing back the stray lock of red hair and caressing her soft skin. "When I was out there, doing my thing, there was never time for us. People needed to be saved and neither of us could concentrate on making us work. I don't want to be like Bruce. Sacrificing his heart time after time, I can't do that anymore."

"Oh, Dick," Barbara uttered softly, tugging him down to his knees and embracing him. "I'm forced to be behind these monitors and keyboards so that I can still help people. I'd be out there in my tights and boots kicking ass right next to Helena and Dinah if I could, but I can't. It pains me to see you sheltering yourself from who you are, from who you should be."

Pushing Dick back enough to see his pained eyes, Barbara moved her hand from his back around to his chest, right on top of his heart. "Don't let fear decide life for you, Dick. You're never going to be alone again. Foolish ideas from the past belong in the past, Short Pants. I'm not pushing you away this time. I just want you to be whole again and to do that I need to let you go – leave the nest behind. I love all of you. Not just Dick Grayson, the kind man and childhood love, but Dick Grayson, the daredevil, the free spirit – Dick Grayson, the hero."

Dick shook his head and looked ready to object but instead found his mouth occupied with a forceful kiss from Barbara. Her lips were warm and pressing; it took only seconds before Dick got over the suddenness and returned the kiss with equal fervor. Barbara wound her arms around Dick's neck, forcing him to kneel onto her wheelchair to stay balanced. Weaving her hands through his hair, Barbara enjoyed the closeness and warmth of Dick. A giggle escaped her lips as she took in his scent – _Passion Fruit Pleasure, _an often used fruit scented body wash of his that Dinah had given as a gag gift yet he ended up enjoying it.

Dick was not deterred, tilting Barbara's head back towards his and capturing her lips again and again. Pressing Barbara against the back of her wheelchair caused their combined momentum to move them slowly back across the room.

Slipping her hands underneath Dick's t-shirt, Barbara caressed his toned body – moving across his taut stomach to his firm chest – her movements rising Dick's level of arousal and hardening his nipples. The two lovers were each reaching levels of excitement too high to contain when the back of the wheelchair hit Barbara's desk, jolting the two of them from their embrace.

"To the bedroom?" Dick probed, his gaze meeting hers. His eyes were dark and intense; his stare penetrating her very being. His hands made quick work of the buttons on Barbara's blouse, letting him slip it off in the time Barbara took to answer.

"No ... I need you now." Her arms around his neck kept Dick close as they continued to kiss and lose themselves to the sea of feelings and emotions cascading through their bodies. Steadily they gave way to their passions as their union soothed their aches and climbed their love to new heights in their minds.

* * *

Several hours and many positions later, found Barbara and Dick resting comfortably in their bed – the location of their last coupling of the day. Snuggled up against Barbara with his arm across her waist and his head lying on her chest, Dick was snoozing calmly completely relaxed. Despite the exhaustion brought on by their intensive lovemaking, Barbara was still wide awake, petting Dick's hair and enjoying the closeness of their intimacy as much as she could. Things were going to change and even she didn't know if opportunities for moments like this were still going to exist once Dick got his wings back. 


End file.
